Three endangered whopping cranes found dead near Albany late last month were killed by gunshots, officials said Wednesday.
The cranes were found and reported by hunters in Calhoun County on Dec. 30, according to Tom MacKenzie, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The animals were then sent to Oregon, where wildlife scientists examined them.
The three cranes, which were banded and equipped with transmitters, were part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership effort to reintroduce the birds into the Eastern United States. They were released in October with seven other first-year birds in Wisconsin.
Prior to being found dead, the three cranes had last been tracked in Hamilton County, Tenn., where they roosted on Dec. 10, MacKenzie said.
A reward of up to $12,500 is being offered for information on who killed the cranes. Any information concerning the deaths of these cranes should contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Terry Hasting at 404-763-7959 and/or Georgia Department of Natural Resources at 1-800-241-4113.
There are about 570 whooping cranes left in the world, 400 in the wild. About 100 cranes are in the eastern migratory population.
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